Field pared to six after opening day of RSC Softball Championship
RSC Sports Information
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Shawnee State (Ohio) University, the University of Rio Grande (Ohio), Point Park (Pa.) University and St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.) College all earned wins during Thursday's opening round of the River States Conference Softball Championship at Little Creek Park.
Indiana University Southeast and Midway (Ky.) University also remained alive with victories in the loser's bracket of the double-elimination event.
Shawnee State, the No. 1 seed from the RSC East Division, posted a 7-1 win over West Division No. 4 Midway in the opening contest for both teams.
The Bears (34-9) blew open a tight affair by scoring four times in the sixth inning.
Brittani Wolfenbarker had three hits, including a double, and drove in two runs, while Cameryn Davidson had three hits of her own in the winning effort.
Three others had two hits each for SSU, while Cassie Berry and Amariah Hoerner teamed on a two-hitter.
Rio Grande (30-17), the East Division No. 2 seed, was the beneficiary of a dominant pitching performance by Madison Ogden in a 2-0 triumph over West Division No. 3 seed Oakland City (Ind.) University.
Ogden allowed a clean single to left by Mighty Oaks' leadoff hitter Kasey Wood to begin the game before retiring the final 21 batters she faced. She struck out a career-best 15 batters in the process.
Ogden also snapped a scoreless tie with a two-out home run in the third inning and had a double as the RedStorm added an insurance marker in the sixth inning.
Point Park (22-23), the No. 4 seed from the East Division, surprised West Division No. 1 seed and RSC regular season champion IU Southeast with a 4-2 victory in nine innings.
The Grenadiers scored single runs in the second and fourth innings before the Pioneers scored twice in a dramatic seventh inning rally to force extra innings.
Remi Koi and Melanie Taylor delivered RBI hits in the ninth to put Point Park in front.
IU Southeast got the would-be tying run to the plate after a two-out single by Cassi Roman, but Issy Wright flied out to end the game.
Koi finished 3-for-3 with two RBI to lead Point Park, while Sydnie Reese added two hits and Jaylyn Mullenax went the distance in the pitcher's circle in the winning effort.
Erin Templeman had three hits, Wright went 2-for-4 and Macie Zink drove in two runs for IU Southeast.
Madison Wathen suffered just her third loss in 20 decisions for the Grenadiers.
West Division No. 2 seed St. Mary-of-the-Woods (32-15) topped Ohio Christian University - the third seed from the East Division - 4-2, in the opening game for both teams.
The Pomeroys spotted the Trailblazers a first inning run before scoring four markers of their own in the bottom of the frame and making the lead stand up the rest of the way.
Neveah Pender had two hits and drove in one of the four first inning runs for SMWC, while Jasmine Kinder added two hits of her own.
Emily Fitzwater got the win for the Pomeroys despite allowing 10 hits over five innings. Marin Jacobs tossed two scoreless frames for a save.
Kylee Bako was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI for Ohio Christian, while four others also had two hits in a losing cause.
In loser's bracket play, IU Southeast ousted Oakland City and Midway dismissed Ohio Christian, both by scores of 4-2.
Oakland City (28-22) rallied from an early 2-0 deficit with a pair of runs in the fifth, but the Grenadiers scored twice in the bottom of the inning to regain the lead for good.
Josie Lemmons went 3-for-3 for IU Southeast (34-15), while Autumn Oehlstrom drove in two runs.
Oakland City managed just four hits in the loss, with Wood and Emma Williams driving in one run each.
Midway (19-25) spotted Ohio Christian a 2-0 first inning lead before tying the game with two runs in the fourth inning and taking the lead with a run in the fifth.
The Eagles added an insurance run in the seventh.
Ryann Berger was 2-for-3, including a game-tying home run in the fourth inning, and finished with three RBI. Kennadi Thompson and Katie Rhodes also had two hits each in the win.
Hilarie Spitler had three hits, including a pair of doubles, and drove in a run in the loss for the Trailblazers (17-27).
Action resumes on Friday morning with a winner's bracket game in each of the two, four-team pods, with elimination games to follow.
Shawnee State will tangle with St. Mary-of-the-Woods, while Rio Grande faces Point Park in the 10 a.m. openers.
The Shawnee State-SMWC loser will meet Midway, while the Rio-PPU loser squares off with IU Southeast in elimination contests set for noon.
Championship first finals in each pod are slated for 4 p.m.
A second final in each pod, if needed, would take place on Saturday at 10 a.m., with championship action to follow later in the day.
If both pod winners are undefeated at the close of play on Friday, a best-of-three championship series would begin on Saturday at 10 a.m.
The RSC Game Central will provide live streaming video of all RSC Softball Championship games. Subscribe for $7.95 per game or $19.99 for the entire tournament.
Live stats will also be provided at River StatesConference.com.
2024 RIVER STATES CONFERENCE SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
May 2-4 at South Charleston, W.Va. (Little Creek Park)
Thursday, May 2
Game 1 -- No. 2 St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.) (32-15) def. No. 3 Ohio Christian, 4-2 - Boxscore
Game 2 -- No. 1 Shawnee State (Ohio) (34-9) def. No. 4 Midway (Ky.), 7-1 - Boxscore
Game 3 -- No. 2 Rio Grande (Ohio) (30-17) def. No. 3 Oakland City (Ind.), 2-0 - Boxscore
Game 4 -- No. 4 Point Park (Pa.) (22-23) def. No. 1 IU Southeast, 4-2 (9 inn.) - Boxscore
Game 5 -- Midway (19-25) def. Ohio Christian (17-27), 4-2 (Ohio Christian eliminated) - Boxscore
Game 6 -- IU Southeast (34-15) def. Oakland City (28-22), 4-2 (Oakland City eliminated) - Boxscore
Friday, May 3
Game 7 -- No. 2 St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.) vs. No. 1 Shawnee State (Ohio), 10 a.m. (Field 2)
Game 8 -- No. 2 Rio Grande (Ohio) vs. No. 4 Point Park (Pa.), 10 a.m. (Field 1)
Game 9 -- No. 4 Midway (Ky.) vs. Loser Game 7, noon (Field 2)
Game 10 -- No. 1 IU Southeast vs. Loser Game 8, noon (Field 1)
Game 11 -- Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 9, 4 p.m. (Field 2)
Game 12 -- Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 10, 4 p.m. (Field 1)
Saturday, May 4
Game 13 -- TBA, 10 a.m. (Field 1)
Game 14 -- TBA, 10 a.m. (Field 2) (if necessary)
Game 15 -- TBA (if necesssary)
Game 16 -- TBA (if necessary)
Game 17 -- TBA (if necessary)